Friday, December 12, 2014

An error occurred only in the title of the web site blogspot and
it has been corrected. A second error occurred by me taking the number of years
until Yacov returned to be with Yitzchak and that was 36 when he left Lavan it
was after 20 years and therefore he was 97 and he had last seen Esav 34 years
previously. I have corrected the commentary to read: 31 And Jacob called the name of the place
Peniel: 'for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.' 32 And
the sun rose upon him as he passed over Peniel, and he limped upon his thigh.

And
the sun rose for him: This is a common expression: When we arrived at
such-and-such a place, the dawn broke for us. This is the simple explanation.
The Midrashic Aggadah (Tanchuma Buber, Vayishlach 10; Gen. Rabbah 68:10)
[explains]: And the sun rose for him-to heal his limp, as it is said: (Mal. 3:20):
“the sun of mercy, with healing in its wings”; and those hours that it hastened
to set for him when he left Beer-sheba, it hastened to rise for him. And he was
limping on his thigh: He was limping on his thigh when the sun rose.

Actually, I think the limp helped Yacov for it made possible that
Esav would have compassion on Yacov. For 34 years previously, Esav saw Yacov as
a 63 year old man who was strong enough after 14 years of Torah learning to
lift the heavy stone covering the well and here is this old man limping towards
him after another 20 years. In fact he saw a bit of Avraham and Yitzchak in
Yacov and his compassion awakened.

BDE Naomi
Esther bas Tziporah passed away and Rabbi Yehuda Yehoshua Glick is recovering
so that that he does not need daily prayers but some more for a few weekly
sessions. I also notice that I had not remove Mordechai ben Sara from the list.

Parsha Vayishlach Part 2

The whole incident of Dina is a phenomena in itself. Yosef was
born when Yacov was 91 years old and Dina after Yosef. Yacov was between 97 and
99 when he arrived in Schem which places Dina between the ages of 6 to 8.
Supposedly, Yacov kept her in a trunk to hide her from Esav. Esav is 97 years
old. Because of the narrative it appears that I have the right time frame and
age. Thus when she meets up with Schem she is like one of the maidens in Gaza
and Shimon and Levy having been born when Yacov was about 85-86 and 86-87 are
not that old but in those days old enough to feel mature. But still two 9- 11
year old boys. Dina supposedly becomes pregnant with Osnat. This is
theoretically possible at that age but too rare. She is like one of those Gaza
Brides which we seen on the news of internet.

There is an alternative explanation to our Parsha based on the
principle that there is no early or late in the Torah making this all was later
on. One could contend this but the narrative appears to be one consistent
story. Flee Lavan, enter Eretz Yisrael, contend with Esav, heading slowly
towards Beer Sheva stop off at the cross-roads of Eretz Yisrael which is Schem*. Following the fear and with Sefer
HaYashar the battles after the killing of the men of Schem and the taking of
the women prisoners, Yacov visits Beis –El and Benyamin is born in Beis Lechem.
There Yacov buries Rachel and prior to reaching Beer Sheva, Devorah passes
away. Note that Devorah was the nurse to Rivka and 97 year old Yacov was born
when Rivka was either 23 or 34. All this would make Devorah no youngster. Rivka
passes away at the age of 133 so it appears that HASHEM grants her to see Yacov
return and her grandchildren and shortly thereafter goes to her eternal rest in
peace as Yacov arrives back home at the age of 99. Yitzchak is 159 years old.
{Try to remember this age for I will Ble Neder dispute a commentary in another
Sedra or all our dating is off meaning that Yacov did not learn for 14 years
with Shem and Ever and that Yosef was more than 22 years in Egypt. The only two
clear dates we appear to have is that Yacov left Beer Sheva at the age of 63 and
entered Egypt at the age of 130 – but Oral Torah does come from Sinai and the
14 years of learning and 22 years of Yosef being away makes sense.)

*(Schem - having just
visited it and seeing it as both a north – south route, east – west route
another such city is Yerushalayim and the Omer Junction not far from Beer Sheva
can fit this description although Schem might be the most ideal of them all
with the current Golani Junction in the north topping off the list. Schem or
Yerushalayim are the most ideal areas)

34:1 And
Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne unto Jacob, went out to see the
daughters of the land.

The child wanted to play with girls her age.

2 And
Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her; and he
took her, and lay with her, and humbled her. 3 And his soul did cleave unto
Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spoke comfortingly
unto the damsel. 4 And Shechem spoke unto his father Hamor, saying: 'Get me
this damsel to wife.' 5 Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter;
and his sons were with his cattle in the field; and Jacob held his peace until
they came. 6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to speak with
him.

All this before Yacov’s sons come from the field.

7 And the
sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were
grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought a vile deed in Israel
in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done.

Sex without marriage and non-consensual at that!

8 And
Hamor spoke with them, saying 'The soul of my son Shechem longs for your
daughter. I pray you give her unto him to wife. 9 And make ye marriages with
us; give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you.

This does sound a bit more romantic and alliance proposal in mind.

10 And ye
shall dwell with us; and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye
therein, and get you possessions therein.' 11 And Shechem said unto her father
and unto her brethren: 'Let me find favor in your eyes, and what ye shall say
unto me I will give. 12 Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give
according as ye shall say unto me; but give me the damsel to wife.'

In any event, he might have done the rape out of passion for the
moment but he wanted to love and marry Dina.

… 30 And
Jacob said to Simeon and Levi: 'Ye have troubled me, to make me odious unto the
inhabitants of the land, even unto the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and, I
being few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and smite
me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.' 31 And they said: 'Should one
deal with our sister as with a harlot?

And now that she was contracted to marry Schem what have you done?
Talking back to your father after he made a decision is that proper? Not to
mention Reuven later on rearranging Yacov’s bed from the tent of Bilhah to his
mother’s tent that is Chutzpa. [21 And
Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond Migdal-eder. 22 And it came to
pass, while Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his
father's concubine; and Israel heard of it.]

35:1 And God said unto Jacob: 'Arise, go up to
Beth-el, and dwell there; and make there an altar unto God, who appeared unto
thee when thou didst flee from the face of Esau thy brother.' 2 Then Jacob said
unto his household, and to all that were with him: 'Put away the strange gods
that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments;

This was with the woman and
children from Schem and perhaps Rachel???

8 And Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and
she was buried below Beth-el under the oak; and the name of it was called Allon-bacuth.

She was coming back home to
see Rivka again but did not make it.

9 And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he
came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. 10 And God said unto him: 'Thy name is
Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy
name'; and He called his name Israel. 11 And God said unto him: 'I am God
Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be
of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; 12 and the land which I gave
unto Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will
I give the land.' 13 And God went up from him in the place where He spoke with
him. 14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He spoke with him, a
pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink-offering thereon, and poured oil
thereon. 15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him,
Beth-el.

This could be Yerushalayim which
is not far to Beis Lechem where Rachel would give birth and die.

16 And they journeyed from Beth-el; and there
was still some way to come to Ephrata; and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor.
17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the mid-wife said unto
her: 'Fear not; for this also is a son for thee.' 18 And it came to pass, as
her soul was in departing--for she died--that she called his name Ben-oni; but
his father called him Benjamin. 19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way
to Ephrath--the same is Beth-lehem. 20 And Jacob set up a pillar upon her
grave; the same is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day..

Until this day holds true even
3500 years later.

…27 And Jacob came unto Isaac his father to
Mamre, to Kiriatharba--the same is Hebron--where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.
28 And the days of Isaac were a hundred and fourscore years. 29 And Isaac
expired, and died, and was gathered unto his people, old and full of days; and
Esau and Jacob his sons buried him.

Note the death of Rivka is not
mentioned. Did she pass away at the age of 133 just before Yacov arrived or
slightly after he arrived and she dies happy at such a family. To those who
hold that she married at the age of 3 she would still be around for about 10
years but for the Ibn Ezra, she died close to the time that Yacov arrived home.
It would also explain that his father was in Kiriat Arba. I would like to think
that HASHEM waited until Yacov returned and rewarded Rivka in seeing 12
grandsons and Dina. Yacov returned to his father at the age of 99 so Yitzchak
was 159 years old. Leaving him 21 years with his father in the end.

36:1 Now these are the generations of
Esau--the same is Edom.

This is an indication where
certain countries came from.

31 And these are the kings that reigned in the
land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel.

Avraham was warned that his
children would be in Egypt to mold them into a nation so these descendants of
Esav were not to continue the Avraham Religious Inheritance.

Parsha Vayeishev

Yacov wanted to relax and retire after settling down in Eretz
Yisrael. He is now 108 and his sons are taking over the business finally to
learn Torah and retire but wait there is really no rest for Tzaddikim in this
world. Yet in the end Yacov would have 17 good years and in Gematria 17 = Tov
or good. But that will be after 22 years of suffering.

37:1 And
Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan. 2
These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was
feeding the flock with his brethren, being still a lad even with the sons of
Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought
evil report of them unto their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all
his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a coat of
many colors.

Even though he was an orphan from his mother, he was a brother
from the father and spoiling him made the others jealous so much that Shimon
and Levi were hot tempered enough to kill him.

4 And
when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren,
they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

Yacov could not see this and I don’t know why one of the wives did
not make him notice this?

5 And
Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren; and they hated him yet
the more.

I shall not go into this too far but it says that his father
tucked away in his memory the dreams. After seeing Yosef’s coat though it would
appear that he was dead.

…20 Come
now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we
will say: An evil beast hath devoured him; and we shall see what will become of
his dreams.' 21 And Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand; and
said: 'Let us not take his life.'

Reuven being the oldest is respected by the younger ones and they
listen to him.

22 And
Reuben said unto them: 'Shed no blood; cast him into this pit that is in the
wilderness, but lay no hand upon him'--that he might deliver him out of their
hand, to restore him to his father.

His actions were partially correct but should have taken Yosef to
work with him instead of them removing his coat and throwing him into a pit
with snakes and scorpions inside. (Oral Torah and Rashi)

23 And it
came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph
of his coat, the coat of many colours that was on him; 24 and they took him,
and cast him into the pit--and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. 25
And they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and,
behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites came from Gilead, with their camels bearing
spicery and balm and ladanum, going to carry it down to Egypt.

Usually they would carry crude oil from Arabia to Egypt but this
time, they carried spices so that even slavery was milder.

26 And
Judah said unto his brethren: 'What profit is it if we slay our brother and
conceal his blood?

Yehuda like Reuven wants to save Yosef but he is not yet mature to
be a leader and bungles this too with his suggest as Yosef is sold. Still he
led here.

27 Come,
and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for
he is our brother, our flesh.' And his brethren hearkened unto him. 28 And
there passed by Midianites, merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out
of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver.
And they brought Joseph into Egypt. 29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and,
behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. 30 And he returned
unto his brethren, and said: 'The child is not; and as for me, whither shall I
go?' 31 And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a he-goat, and dipped the coat
in the blood;

This is the principle of measure for measure Mida K’neged Mida.
For what goes around comes around and Yacov deceived his father with Esav’s
coat and now he get repaid for this with his children deceiving him.

32 and they
sent the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father; and said:
'This have we found. Know now whether it is thy son's coat or not.' 33 And he
knew it, and said: 'It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him;
Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.' 34 And Jacob rent his garments, and put
sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. 35 And all his
sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be
comforted; and he said: 'Nay, but I will go down to the grave to my son
mourning.' And his father wept for him. 36 And the Midianites sold him into
Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, the captain of the guard.

The Yishmaelim sold him to the Midian People and in turn they sold
him to Egypt. However, Midian was given a chance and took it when Yisro
befriended Moshe. The have that sold Yosef may have been the worshippers of
Baal Peor and they were repaid by execution generations later. This is the
start of making Moshiach ben Yosef.

38:1 And
it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and
turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there
a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her, and
went in unto her. 3 And she conceived, and bore a son; and he called his name
Er. 4 And she conceived again, and bore a son; and she called his name Onan.

From Yehuda would come Moshiach in the future and the story
narrative continues with the making of Moshiach ben David.

… 40:1 And it came to pass after these things,
that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord the king
of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was wroth against his two officers, against the chief
of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers. 3 And he put them in ward
in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where
Joseph was bound. 4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph to be with
them, and he ministered unto them; and they continued a season in ward. 5 And
they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream, in one night, each man
according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the
king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.

They dreamed the solution of the
other’s dream. And the interpretation of the dream would eventually lead to
Yosef’s redemption from jail.

6 And Joseph came in unto them in the morning,
and saw them, and, behold, they were sad. 7 And he asked Pharaoh's officers
that were with him in the ward of his master's house, saying: 'Wherefore look
ye so sad to-day?' 8 And they said unto him: 'We have dreamed a dream, and
there is none that can interpret it.' And Joseph said unto them: 'Do not
interpretations belong to God? tell it me, I pray you.' 9 And the chief butler
told his dream to Joseph, and said to him: 'In my dream, behold, a vine was
before me; 10 and in the vine were three branches; and as it was budding, its
blossoms shot forth, and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes, 11 and
Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's
cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.' 12 And Joseph said unto him:
'This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; 13 within
yet three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head, and restore thee unto thine
office; and thou shalt give Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former
manner when thou wast his butler. 14 But have me in thy remembrance when it
shall be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make
mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. 15 For indeed I was
stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also have I done nothing
that they should put me into the dungeon.' 16 When the chief baker saw that the
interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph: 'I also saw in my dream, and,
behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head; 17 and in the uppermost
basket there was of all manner of baked food for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat
them out of the basket upon my head.' 18 And Joseph answered and said: 'This is
the interpretation thereof: the three baskets are three days; 19 within yet
three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on
a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.' 20 And it came to
pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all
his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and the head of the
chief baker among his servants. 21 And he restored the chief butler back unto
his butlership; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. 22 But he hanged the
chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet did not the chief butler
remember Joseph, but forgot him.

In the Heavenly Yeshiva, the Maggid of Mezritch whispered to the Baal Shem
Tov, "My "Zalmanyu" [Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Chabad] is in
trouble. We must do something.' Connection: Seasonal--the chasidic
festival Yud-Tes Kislev falls this year on Wed night-Thurs.(Dec. 10-11).

The year was 1798. The Russian winter had already set in; the white-covered
roofs and roads reflected the glint of occasional sunlight; and the Chabad
chasidim of the village of Starodub in the province of Chernogov were enduring
a difficult time. Not that the weather fazed them, but their Rebbe, Rabbi
Shneur Zalman of Liadi, had been incarcerated since the day after Simchat Torah
in the Tainy Soviet, a fierce prison in Petersburg. He was undergoing
interrogation for a trumped-up charge of treason, and the chasidim fully shared
his pain. The elders of Liadi had decreed a number of austere measures, one of
which was fasting - no food, no drink, not even water - every Monday and
Thursday from sunrise to sunset. Some of the chasidim of their own volition
even took upon themselves to do so every day of the week except Shabbat.

Another decree was that if, G-d forbid, one of the chasidic membership
should happen to pass away, the other chasidim in his area would gather at the
cemetery and implore the departed soul to intercede as best he could for the
release of the Rebbe.

The chasidim in Starodub, although a great distance from both Liadi and
Petersburg, accepted upon themselves every stringency with fervor. When one of
the local Chabad leaders, Reb Yehezkel Liozner,* an elderly man, felt himself
about to die soon, he summoned his closest friends to his deathbed. He said to
them, "I know that after I 'depart,' you will come to my grave to plead
with me in great seriousness to intercede for the Rebbe. I want you to promise
me that when the Rebbe is finally released - may the Al-mighty allow it to
happen soon - you will come again. But this time in joy, to toast 'L'Chayim'
and to dance."

"Amen - so be His will," one started and the others immediately
chimed in. "But," the first one qualified, "you have to promise
us something too. Surely before the release can take place down here, it must
be decided first in Heaven. Therefore you will know before we will! So promise
us as soon as you find out you will let us know somehow."

After a brief pause for reflection, the dying chasid agreed. The deal was
struck! Later that day he did pass away, and as expected, at the funeral his
fellow Chasidim implored him to intercede on behalf of their beloved Rebbe.

On Monday night, the eve of the 19th of the Jewish month of Kislev, one of
his friends who had been part of the deathbed pact saw Reb Yehezkel in a dream.
"Yehezkel! Where are you?" he stammered, in his dream.

Without bothering to answer, Reb Yehezkel told him the following:

"Tonight, in honor of his yahrzeit, the Magid [Rabbi Dov Ber of
Mezritch, successor to the Baal Shem Tov as leader of the fledgling chasidic
movement] was invited to give a lesson in the Heavenly Yeshiva. A large
crowd attended, including many of us chasidim. Seated at the Magid's right was
the great kabbalist Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the holy Ari of Safed. At his
left was Rabbi Yisrael, the Baal Shem Tov.

"Upon concluding his presentation, the Magid leaned to his left and
said, 'My "Zalmanyu" is in trouble and the teachings of Chasidism are
endangered. We must do something to help him.'

The Besht and the Ari nodded sagely.

Almost instantly there was a rustle at the entrance, and in came Rabbi
Shimon bar Yochai [leading sage of the Mishna and source of the teachings
recorded in the Zohar]! The Ari appraised him of the situation and he agreed to
preside over a Beit Din, a rabbinical court with a panel of at least
three qualified judges.

"The facts were presented. The Rashbi, the Ari, and the Besht
deliberated [the Magid was not eligible to be a judge in the case because he
was so personally involved with Rabbi Shneur Zalman - Y.T.]. Then the three
judges announced their decision: the Chabad Rebbe must be set free that very
day while it was still Tuesday, Yud-Tes Kislev, his rebbe the Magid's yahrzeit,
and he must be allowed to continue on the path of intellectual chasidut that he
had blazed [most noticeably with the publication of Tanya two years earlier,
exactly, on 19-20 Kislev - Y.T.].

The dreaming chasid woke. It was nearly morning - already time to leave for
shul. He dressed quicker than he ever did, for he couldn't wait to tell
his companions in the pact about his dream. He burst into the shul and
there they all were already, sitting together.

He went over to them and began to speak. "Listen to this!.." But
then he realized that several of them had also started talking. "Last
night I…" "You are not going to believe…""I had the most
amazing…"

It turned out they had all dreamed the same dream! Reb Yehezkel had
appeared to each of them during the latter part of the night.

They were so happy and excited. Wide grins lit up their faces. If they all
dreamed the same dream, it must be true!

"But hold it a minute," one of them called out. "What about
those of us who took on fasting every weekday? We shouldn't have to do it any
more. We all had the same dream. That proves it is true. The Rebbe's liberation
had been decreed in Heaven. We have to celebrate, not fast!"

"But we are not permitted to decide such things based on a
dream," another one challenged, "even if we know it to be true."

Quickly they were deep in discussion, presenting pros and cons. In the end
they agreed it was not their place to decide such a question on their own. They
would have to consult the chief rabbi of the community.

They did so. The Rabbi told they must fast as vowed because no matter how
powerful and true the dream, the Rebbe was still in jail.

Indeed, the next day, Tuesday, Kislev 19 in the afternoon, Rabbi Shneur
Zalman was released, and Yud-Tes Kislev became forever a festival.

But in those days, before telegraphs, telephones and emailing, it took
until the following Tuesday for the news of the Rebbe's release to reach
distant Starodub. The Chasidim continued to fast that week, most just on
Thursday and Monday and some on all six weekdays. But thanks to their shared
dream, the fasts were all conducted in joy instead of pain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Heard in Hebrew from the Rosh Yeshiva of Tomchei Tmimim Tzefat, Rabbi
Y.Y.Wilshansky, on Shabbat, 20 Kislev, 5774, in Beit Chabad of Tzefat, and
subsequently amplified with details from two published Hebrew sources--"Sipurei
Anash Odot RaNag" and "Igret Hakodesh Shel HaRebbe
HaRayatz," #2433--supplied by Rabbi W. The two versions differ
slightly.

Biographical notes (in chronological order):
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, one of the most important sages in Jewish history,
lived over 1800 years ago. Teachings in his name abound throughout the Mishnah,
Gemorrah, and Midrashim, while the Zohar, the primary source text of Kabbalah,
is built around Rabbi Shimon's revelations to his inner circle of disciples.
During the hours before his passing, on Lag b'Omer, he disclosed the "most
sublime" secrets of Torah, in order to ensure that the day would always be
an occasion for great joy, untouched by sadness because of the Omer period and
mourning for him. The seminal importance of the Zohar in Jewish thought and the
annual pilgrimage to Meron on Lag b"Omer are testimonies to his success.

Rabbi Yitzchak Luria--the Holy Ari [of blessed memory: 5294 - 5 Av
5332 (1534 - July 1572 C.E.)], the leader of the Tzefat Kabbalists during the
last years of his life, was the most influential Jewish mystic since Rabbi
Shimon Bar Yochai 1400 years earlier. Much of Chasidic thought is based on the
Ari's teachings, as recorded by his main disciple, Rabbi Chaim Vital. (For a
more detailed biography of the Holy Ari and of Rabbi Vital, go to
//ascentofsafed.com or //KabbalaOnline.org.)

Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer [of blessed memory: 18 Elul 5458- 6 Sivan 5520
(Aug. 1698 - May 1760 C.E.)], the Baal Shem Tov ["master of the
good Name"-often referred to as "the Besht" for short], a unique
and seminal figure in Jewish history, revealed his identity as an exceptionally
holy person, on his 36th birthday, 18 Elul 5494 (1734 C.E.), and made the
until-then underground Chasidic movement public. He wrote no books, although
many claim to contain his teachings. One available in English is the excellent
annotated translation of Tzava'at Harivash, published by Kehos.

Rabbi Dov Ber [of blessed memory: c.5460 - 19 Kislev 5533 (c.1700- Dec.
1772 C.E.)], the son of Avraham and Chava, known as the Maggid of Mezritch,
succeeded his master, the Baal Shem Tov, as the head of the Chasidic movement.
Most of the leading chasidic dynasties stem from his disciples and his
descendents. The classic anthologies of his teachings are Likutei Amarim and
Torah Ohr (combined by Kehas Publishing as Maggid Devorav l'Yaakov), and Ohr
HaEmmes.

Rabbi Shneur Zalman [of blessed memory: 18 Elul 5505 - 24 Tevet 5573 (1745
- Dec. 1812 C.E.)], one of the main disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch,
successor to the Baal Shem Tov. He is the founder of the Chabad-Chassidic
movement and the author of Shulchan Aruch HaRav and Tanya as well as many other
major works in both Jewish law and the mystical teachings.

Editor's notes:
* His identity was not known until about 130 years later the Rebbe Rayatz
revealed it in a letter to a descendant and namesake, a Mr. Yehezkel Lisner
(surely an Anglicised version of Liozner**) in Chicago, the chairman of the
local council of Chabad chasidim. Reb Yehezkel Liozner was the chief
Lubavitcher shochet (kosher slaughterer) in Vitebsk, a work he performed for 58
years, yet it is recorded that never once was his slaughtering disqualified
(treifa)!

**When the Russian government decreed that everyone must have a family
name, Reb Yehezkel chose 'Liozner' and insisted on it for all of his
descendents. Liozna was the name of the town that Rabbi Shneur Zalman moved to
after his release from prison, and to there Reb Yehezkel would make the journey
to visit him once every two years.

These are the
Toughest Shidduchim that I ever tried (thanks to Lenny): There is more truth to this than most jokes.

Avraham Avinu: How can I recommend him to my daughter, wasn't he
involved with some sort of family feud with his father over some idols? And
didn't he start some sort of a cult? He left home without a GPS or a via business
plan!

Yitzchak
Avinu: His brother is an Arab terrorist!!!

Rivka Imeinu: Sorry, she seems nice but did you hear about her Mishpache???
Her father's a murderer and her brother's a Ponzi scam artist...

Yaakov Avinu: Okay, he sits and learns all day... but his brother is
a no-goodnik. And anyway, we heard he has a limp..... .

Leah Imeinu: Her father's a con artist, and she has ophthalmological
problems. Maybe it's genetic?

Moshe Rabbaynu: Are you kidding? His parents are divorced! And worse..
they remarried! And we hear he's in speech therapy....

King David: How dare you suggest him to our yichusdike family? Our
neighbor Yenta told us that his great-grandmother was a Giyores!!!

Chava: Do you know anything about her family? We never heard
of them. No one knows where she came from and she can't come up with any
referrals!

Please Chevra, judge the
person for him/herself - you're going to marry the person, not the family.
You're getting married to build your home, not to please your neighbors. And
finally, remember that if you are in this world, you are not perfect and
neither is your spouse. (Translated loosely from Arutz Sheva)

A leftist
Ed-Op calls it the end of King Bibi the behavior of Sara and Bibi in running
the PM’s Residence and their trips abroad has riled up the public against them
both. It is time for a change. I would welcome somebody from the right but as
my wife put it, I don’t care if the left gets in to get him out. Now that is
how the people feel. Another right-winger said, “Just so what we don’t have to
see Sara Netanyahu anymore!” http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4601778,00.html

Netanyahu
upon realizing that he might have a real challenge from Gideon Saar from the
Likud and Lieberman with the left and center is now looking into a coalition
with the Charedim and is willing to make up and then some for what Lapid did to
them. Livni is making a deal with Hertzog to be under him in the expanded Labor
Party with Lapid trying a number of tricks to stay relevant. Mofaz too is
moving to Labor from Likud-Kadima oh what a tangled web we weave. ED-OP I
believe the first quote on Donald Duck and the Muppets is most appropriate for
Yisrael: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Into-the-Fray-A-superfluous-exercise-in-inevitable-futility-383720

A growing number of Americans back the idea of
a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, & over two-thirds
of those surveyed in a recent poll [March 2014] published Friday
by the Brookings Institution said they would call for a single democratic
state should a two-state solution prove unviable.

According to the findings of the survey, the
percentage of those polled who want Washington to advocate a single bi-national
state with equal citizenship for Jews & Arabs has risen from 24 percent to
34%. The poll was conducted online in November 2014 by Shibley Telhami, the
Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace & Development at the University of
Maryland. The authors did not specify over what time period that 10 point hike
took place.

Of the 1,008 American respondents, 71% said
that if a two-state solution fails, they favor a bi-national democratic state
over a Jewish state which deprives Palestinians of citizenship. Only 24% of
respondents said they “favor the Jewishness of Israel more than its democracy.”
Note: Kahlon started out as the Likud and has shifted
further and further left. Look at Livni started out Likud then Kadima then
Hatanua then Labor or Lapid the only other profession outside of politics in
the world where one moves from one to another with such ease is the oldest
profession in the world except originally wine and cakes were supplied for the
clients unless one was like Tamar appeared in our Parsha – a Kedaysha.

Analysis –
The IDF Chief of Staff will face a lot of challenges in a non-functioning
Knesset and Finance Ministry. In other news the hospitals in Israel have no
money due to a number of factors and the non-functioning government is putting
a PEKEUACH NEFESH strain on everybody!!! Eisenkot began the race to erect the
obstacle even before getting the political echelon's approval. Today, everyone
is applauding the fact that the fence was erected before the escalation along
the Syrian border. Had things been done by the book, the fence may have been
completed only after the leader of Jabhat al-Nusra on the Syrian side of the
Golan had died of old age. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4601935,00.html